Causes of Oil Truck Accidents in Texas

Causes Of Oil Truck Accidents

While any accident on the road can be serious, accidents involving oil tanker trucks can be especially catastrophic. Because an accident involving an oil tanker could result in serious or fatal injury, oil rig drivers are held to a high standard when operating these vehicles. When they fail to operate their vehicles safely and people are injured or killed as a result, drivers and their employers can be held financially responsible.

If you have been injured in an oil tanker truck accident in Texas, turn to the experienced Dallas truck accident lawyers of Tate Law Offices, P.C., right away. Our consultations are always free, and you will not owe us anything unless we win your case.

Causes of Oil Tanker Truck Accidents

Oil-transporting vehicles can cause serious accidents that cause roads and highways to be closed off for hours. The following can precipitate events that lead to a serious oil truck accident:

  • Fatigued driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Inexperienced driver
  • Poor or dangerous road conditions
  • Inclement weather
  • Driver recklessness
  • Excessive speeding
  • Unsecured transport load
  • Unchecked blind spots

Many victims of oil tanker accidents do not immediately know why their accident occurred. If you’ve been involved in an accident, a lawyer can investigate your accident to identify the true cause and the liable parties, and then help you seek to hold them accountable.

What Are the Risks of Transporting Oil in a Truck?

Oil trucks are specially designed to transport oil and gas, but if the driver does not exercise caution or if the rig is not properly maintained, a severe injury crash could occur. In the event of an accident, the highly flammable oil that the tanker is transporting could result in an explosion or fire, putting others at even higher risk of catastrophic injuries.

While the cargo may be hazardous, oil tanker drivers may be forced to drive for longer hours than truckers in other industries. This is due to oil field exemptions from highway safety rules, as discussed in this story in The New York Times. The exemptions allow drivers to earn more money, but often put themselves and others at risk, especially if they are required to drive in shifts that are 20 hours or longer.

Because of the demand for drivers, trucking companies may be negligent in their hiring and training practices. In the interest of getting drivers into trucks, they may let inexperienced or reckless drivers operate vehicles on the roads that we all share, and accidents could result.

According to The New York Times story, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed fatal accident data for oil industry workers and found that a third of the 648 oil field worker deaths were in highway crashes.

If You’ve Been in an Oil Tanker Accident, Contact a Texas Truck Accident Attorney

The oil industry in Texas is a major source of economic growth. However, the oil industry’s success should not come at the cost of safety. If you have been involved in an accident with an oil truck, get an experienced lawyer to fight for you.

The attorneys at Tate Law Offices, P.C., fight to help injury victims seek the maximum compensation that they are due. When large oil companies try to use their wealth and resources to take advantage of accident victims, our experienced injury attorneys push back.

Call us today or contact us online to discuss your case with one of our lawyers.